Multiple lead cutter



June 25, 1968 o. TAMBURR 3,389,629

MULTIPLE LEAD CUTTER Filed Aug. 30, 1966 I7 /6 ,5 FIG. l

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INVENTOR owE/V TAM BURR WMM/VW ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,389,629 MULTIPLE LEAD CUTTER Owen Tamburr, 22 Caton Ave., Colonia, NJ. 07067 Filed Aug. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 576,096 6 Claims. (Cl. 83-200) This invention relates generally to devices for cutting a plurality of electrically conductive leads and, specifically, to devices for cutting contact pins of a vacuum tube base to a uniform length, so that they may be readily and conveniently inserted into a tube socket.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lead cutter, which will cut to a uniform length, a plurality of leads and which is quick and automatic in its operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a multiple lead cutter which will not deform the leads from a vacuum tube or similar article, insuring them to be a uniform length.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a multiple lead cutter, which is easy for the unskilled to use.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages, may be attained by the device shown in the drawings in which FIGURE l is a vertical sectional view of a multiple lead cutter illustrating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof with the housing removed;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the upper cutter and guide;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the lower cutter and rotatable support therefor; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective partial view of the cutter.

Vacuum tubes or similar articles as produced, frequently have leads extending from their base which are of unequal lengths, and it is necessary for them to be cut to a uniform length, so that the vacuum tube may be readily applied to a socket. When this cutting procedure is performed manually, the leads are sometimes unevenly cut and are deformed, so that vacuum tube will not readily iit a socket. When the operation is performed by a mechanical device, the leads are frequently deformed in the process of shearing them olf to a uniform length, and must be straightened before the vacuum tube can be applied to a socket. Such automatic devices which perform the shearing function are difficult to use, in that the vacuum tube base leads are not readily applied to the cutters, and after being applied carelessly and even diligently, the leads are deected, either in insertion or in shearing.

The present invention is designed to simply and easily accomplish the shearing of multiple pins simultaneously to a uniform length, without the risk of deforming the pins, and permitting easy insertion of the vacuum tube base into the cutter.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the multiple lead cutter provides a base 11 and a cover or housing 12 for the base. Positioned on the base is a solenoid 13. A power supply to the solenoid is provided with a treadletype electric switch 14 so that the application of the foot to the treadle 14 will operate the solenoid 13. In lieu of a solenoid, an air cylinder or other driving means may be supplied with a suitable pedal valve to manipulate the apparatus. A stationary guide 15 protrudes from a circular orifice in the top of the housing 12. The guide 15 has a central, circular orifice, with a plurality of semicircular pin sockets 16, positioned in spaced relation to each other to receive base leads or contact pins extending from the base of a vacuum tube so that they may be sheared to equal length. The sockets 16 have a flared, introductory guide surface 17, to facilitate the insertion of the pins or leads into the sockets 16. The height of the guide 15, with the upper cutter later referred to, determines the length to which the pins are cut.

Positioned immediately below the stationary guide 15 is a stationary cutter 18. The upper cutter 18 has a pair of holes 19, to engage a pair of pins or keys 20 on the bottom of the guide 15, so as to keep the upper cutter 18 from rotational movement.

Immediately below the upper cutter 18, a lower cutter 21 is located in slidable, rotatable relation to the stationary upper cutter 18. The movement of the lower cutter 21 with relation to the stationary upper cutter 18 shears the pins. The lower cutter 21 rests on a rotatable support 22; the support rests on the base 11, and has a base which receives an arm or link 23, connected to the solenoid 13. The lower rotatable cutter has a pair of holes 19 which receive a pair of pins or keys 20 by which movement of the support 22 rotates the lower cutter 21. Both cutters 18, 21 are made of hardened stock to enable them to shear pins. The cutters 18, 21 are each provided with a central orilice around which are radially arranged, semi-circular pin openings 26. The openings 26 in the lower cutter 21 are precisely dimensioned to receive pins which are to be sheared-off at a particular length. The openings 26 in the upper cutter 18 are slightly larger than those openings 26 in the lower critter 21.

The openings 26 in the rotatable die 21 have a slot 27 with vertically radial walls extending out into the central aperture of the lower cutter 21. The walls of this radial slot 27 are of decreasing width, as they extend toward the central aperture of the lower cutter 21. That is to say, these walls are not parallel but taper as they extend inwardly toward the axis of the rotation of the cutter 21. It has been found that this construction tends to prevent the pins from deforming or being deflected under the shearing stress when the rotatable die is operated. Thereby, the pins remain axially parallel with each other and with the central axis of the cutter 21, fand are not deflected or deformed during the shearing operation.

When a vacuum tube base has its leads inserted through the pin sockets 16, into the openings 26 of the stationary cutter 1S they are guided by the flared portions 17 into these pin sockets 16 and they extend beyond the stationary cutter 18 into the openings 26 in the rotatable cutter 21. The leads are closely held in the openings 26. The rotatable cutter 21 is then rotated in such a manner that its central axis remains coaxial with the central axis of the stationary die. The shearing force exerted by the rotatable cutter 21 shears off the leads or pins at the point where the openings 26 in the stationary cutter 18 intersect with the openings 26 in the rotatable cutter 21. The construction devised prevents the deection or deformation of the pin sockets, and produces a neat sheared end. The cutters 18, 21 rest on top of each other in intimate engagament with each other as they rotate to cut. When soft pins are being cut, the construction prevents the soft pins from being deflected outside of the cutting area. A sleeve 28 surrounds the support 22, is attached to the base 11, and holds the stationary guide immovable by the bolts 24.

Registration of the openings 26 in the cutters 18, 21 is controlled by the screw 30. The screw positions the link 23 for proper registration of the openings 26 with each other. The spring 31 normally urges the link 23 to accomplish this after each action of the solenoid 13. The sleeve 28 has an aperture to admit the link 23 for engagement with the support 22, so that the support 22 can be reciprocated, thereby driving the lower cutter 21.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specilically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

1. A multiple lead cutter comprising (a) an upper and a lower cutter disposed in juxtaposition,

(b) a plurality of openings in the upper cutter intersecting with a central opening in the cutter,

r (c) a plurality of openings in the lower cutter in gcneral registration with the openings in the upper cutter,

(d) the openings in the lower cutter communicating with generally radial slots intersecting with a central opening in the cutter, and the slots tapering toward the central opening.

2. A multiple lead cutter comprising the device according to clairn 1 in which the upper cutter remains immovable with respect to the lower cutter.

3. A multiple lead cutter comprising the device according to claim 1 in which a stationary guide superposes thc l upper cutter and is connected thereto; and the stationary guide has a plurality of flared introductory guide surfaces and openings in registration with the openings in the upper cutter.

4. A multiple lead cutter comprising the device according to claim 1 and a generally tubular support for the lower cutter, a generally tubular sleeve surrounding the tubular support.

5. A multiple cutter comprising a device according to claim 4 and a driving means'connected to the tubular support for the lower cutter, whereby the lower cutter is rotated with respect to the upper stationary cutter.

6. A multiple cutter comprising the device according to claim 4, a spring connected to the driving means normally urging the tubular support to position the lower cutter with its openings in registration with the openings in the upper cutter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTIPLE LEAD CUTTER COMPRISING (A) AN UPPER AND A LOWER CUTTER DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSITION, (B) A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN THE UPPER CUTTER INTERSECTING WITH A CENTRAL OPENING IN THE CUTTER, (C) A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN THE LOWER CUTTER IN GENERAL REGISTRATION WITH THE OPENINGS IN THE UPPER CUTTER, 